


Tightrope Walking For The Inexperienced

by Mosstar



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, No specific universe, Parksborn, Some headcanon will be here and I'm not sorry, This pairing really needs more love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-21
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 05:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/936073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mosstar/pseuds/Mosstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An ongoing collection of drabbles that analyze the relationship between Peter and Harry. Varying from general audiences to teen. Varying viewpoints.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Striving

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So I finally decide to post something and it's a fragment of a fanfic I had been working on that's been edited to stand alone. Oh well. The Parksborn fandom needs some more love.  
> Just be sure to let me know through kudos or comments if you like it! More feedback means more updates!

Harry loves and strives to be like him.  


The light fluff of his hair, his nervous smile, the generosity in his eyes. That giving nature was exactly what he himself could never achieve. His company was the breath of life that had always been missing in Harry's days.  


Peter brought out Harry's best behavior, his best thoughts, made him push the boundaries of his self control without even knowing it. He made him strive to be better than before. Made him desire to be above what his father called him. 

Sometimes, if Harry allowed himself to think on it, he could even imagine that if he confessed the emotions would be returned.  


For the moment, he was content with the distance between them. Later -maybe, not definitely- he would strive to be more.


	2. Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there was one mystery that Peter wanted to solve, it was Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, I cranked out Peter's half of it! I know it might feel awkward, I'm better at how Harry views things.  
> Hope you all enjoy it!

Peter cares about him more than he thinks anyone else does. 

The commonly unruly -no matter how often it was combed back- hair, the fleeting smiles that are often followed by a short laugh or a soft shake of his head. There was never a reaction left alone, even if the second couldn't always be seen. 

Harry could have picked anyone to be his best friend. Yet, he had decided upon the one nearly opposite of the spectrum. Peter never found fault in it though. The two grew to be great friends. They were there for each other, even when they couldn't be physically the other was a phone call away. 

Peter loves Harry's company. The two could spend hours joking about nothing as long as Harry's mind wasn't on something else. At either's house, they'd lose track of the hours and Peter didn't mind. As long as there wasn't an event that called for Spider-man's presence, Peter would stay and Harry wouldn't have to seem so alone. 

Often, Peter would find himself wondering what was on Harry's mind. Though he spoke, it was rare for him to outright say his emotions when a thoughtful look crossed his face. Harry was more of a mystery to Peter that Spider-man's identity was to New York. 

Peter sometimes found the idea cross his mind that he should try to solve that mystery.


	3. Sleepless Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Harry can't sleep because of the streets in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm almost done with Spring term which means I'm not swamped with Creative Writing assignments. This means more time for me to write things! And as such, a new drabble for Tightrope Walking for the Inexperienced.

Harry sometimes can’t sleep. It’s not a common occurrence, but it does happen. Particularly on nights when Peter says he’s too tired to stay up anymore. Then Harry’s left to dwell in his own mind. He hopes that his thoughts slow and his eyes close just enough for him to slip off the edge. It’s rare for him to find sleep fast. So he hears even the softest sounds in his room. Peter’s soft breathing. Car horns so many stories below on streets that feel crowded like the streets in his mind and the thoughts are horns of _let me sleep just let me sleep_.

The shared warmth between them under the blankets is enough to make Harry too lazy to see if he’s not comfortable enough. He feels sleepy like he’s sunbathing but the horns no matter what they say keep him up. He wants to sleep and the thought of falling asleep makes him self-conscious of doing so. He often forgets that sleep is less of a willed action and more of _it just happens_.

The horns in the street become louder than the horns in his mind until he hears them as sirens. He doesn’t need to open his eyes to step out of bed and confirm it. In fact, the horns are loud enough to drown out _his_ horns and before he knows it he’s slipping.

Harry's mind turns off like lights in Oscorp and he can feel sheets move and heat escape but he doesn’t want to wake up. He doesn’t want to because he knows the heat will leave. He knows that the warmth has somewhere else to be and go and it’s not his place to tell the warmth where it needs to stay. It’s not his place to tell Peter where he needs to stay. So he lets himself fall asleep. He knows that later on the warmth will return sore and tired but okay. He’ll always be okay.

Right?


	4. Too Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes moments are too fast to process.

It’s not a surprise that Harry retreats to his room when he comes home. With his dad in a foul mood, it’s a temporary safe haven. Once the door closes behind Harry he leans against it.

The moment Harry shared with Peter only an hour ago feels like a dream. His head is swimming. The kissing, the confessions, it was all too quick. Too fast to have processed in the moment- Harry can only choose to process it now.

The moment rolls in his mind, an unmanageable hunk of dough on an unfloured surface. It sticks in sections and pieces become distorted against the inside of his head.

The wood door is cool against Harry’s cheek. He listens to his father pace the hallways of the house. He hears mutters of “Spider-Man” and “pest” and “eliminate” until it leaves the taste of bile in Harry’s throat. He pulls his knees closer to his chest.

Peter was right. He’s always right.

( _That means dad really is trying to kill the person he views as the “perfect son.” It’s ironic and terrifying. It’s heartless._ )

Harry wonders if it was right to pressure Peter for answers that left both of them in uneasy silence and Harry in denial. Peter had pulled his mask back on and left with a quick good night.

Harry knows what the look was in his eyes as he left. He doesn’t want to admit that wide-eyed expression meant the one expression Harry never wanted to see on Peter’s face since Uncle Ben. It was fear.

( _“I don’t think you’ll like what you learn.” You were right. I don’t like it. It’s ten times worse than what we would have to encounter if he ever learns about us. The Green-fucking-Goblin. This entire time. I never noticed at all._ )

Harry slumps onto his bed and buries his face in his pillows.

“What a load of shit.” Harry breathes in the clean fabric’s scent. It’s not as fake as his dad, but lavender sure as hell doesn’t smell like the damn pillows.

A door slams elsewhere in the house. Harry winces. He sits up and uses his cell to dial Peter’s number. It rings and goes to voicemail.

“Please, Pete. Pick up. I need to talk to you.” Harry whispers the prayer before hanging up.

( _Dad’s probably not in the house anymore and what he was saying can’t mean anything good._ )

Harry tries again. And again. The fourth time, Peter picks up. He’s breathless.

“Har, why are you blowing up my phone? Are you okay?”

The house is silent. Harry’s breathing feels too loud.

“Harry?”

“Dad was really mad when I got home. I heard him, Pete. I heard him talking about you and he called you a pest and is planning on eliminating you-“

“Harry, Breathe. Is your dad still there?”

“No.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“No. I think my dad’s coming to you.”

“If he’s coming my Spidey Sense will pick up anything he tries to hit me with. I’ll be okay, Harry. I promise. Pinkie promise, if it will make you feel any less worried. You don’t- oh no.”

There is an explosion over the phone and rushing wind.

“I’ll call you back.”

“Be careful.”

“Pinkie promise. As soon as he stops tossing the explosive kinder eggs. Not exactly the safest party favors in my opinion.”

Peter hangs up. Harry stares at the “call ended” image on his phone.


End file.
